Howl to the Blood Moon
by VillainObssessedGirl
Summary: A adventure/mystery/fantasy/romance/angst. Reminisent of red riding hood meets dark beauty and beast. not everything is as it seems. Loki shall kneel to no man... what about a woman?
1. Chapter 1

This fic is based off a dream I had once. I will later indicate exactly which chapter the dream entails. And yes I know that I have a Star Trek reference in here. This is like Red Riding Hood meets an insanely dark version of Beauty and the Beast with Avengers characters. This might turn out to be the BATB story I promised earlier. Please Review!

Howl To the Blood Moon

Prequel:

The three men gazed in hope at the sleeping infant before them. She was unaware of the fate they had just planned for her, a fate that could either doom the village or bring them all salvation. She looked so innocent in sleep. One of the three men who was deemed to raise her cried at the notion of what would one day become of her. His companions had shot him a glare of warning to not wake the girl again as her vocals emitted loud screams. They parted ways under the cross in the center of the village nodding to each other to reassure their plan. The man carrying the infant thought back to what the others had said: _He shall not kneel for a man... but what about a woman?_

Nineteen Years Later

A blood-shivering scream pierced into her dreams and fiercely struck Darcy out of her comfortable sleep. The thin light just ever so fluttering through the window told her that the dawn was just beckoning the new day.

Still half asleep Darcy half-consciously sat up in her small bed, hearing only a stagnant silence creeping throughout the small cottage. Had she dreamt the scream?

That question was answered when the scream again echoed off the walls followed by loud sobbing and gruff male cursing. Curious, Darcy drug her weary body out of the single bed and followed the sounds outside. The floors were freezing against her bare feet and her thin white gown offered little protection against the chill of morning. She rubbed her arms against the breeze and shivered at the fog.

As she reached the doorway to the entrance of the humble home she saw her father, Pastor Coulson – a sweet and quiet man with an authoritative presence – cradling her older sister Jane, the village beauty, in his arms.

Darcy looked at her father and sister now. They were both crying though Darcy could hear the priest praying for all he was worth. The village leader, Nick Fury, a frightening dark man as tall and broad as a giant sporting a black eye patch to cover an old war wound, was glaring at the door with his piercing cold eye. Fury had a way of staring that could make Hell freeze over and the Devil tremble in fear.

The rest of the village was beginning to gather around their house and upon seeing the outside of the door had various reactions to whatever it was Darcy had not yet seen. Some of the older and more religious women crossed themselves and began to furiously pray. Fathers suddenly clutched their young daughters to them, fear clearly evident in their eyes as they tried to be brave as their wives cuddled the female children and threw themselves at their husbands in tears.

Jane's personal female friends broke from their families and ran to her weeping of both relief and sorrow. Several of the unmarried or widowed men without daughters paled and gave Coulson a sympathetic look or a firm hand on the shoulder, not really knowing what else to say or do.

Darcy in particular noticed the reaction of the young blacksmith, Thor. He looked terrified and enraged and sorrowed at the same time. The look he cast at Jane was one of longing and utter despair. The two were well-known to be sweet on each other though they hadn't exactly begun courting.

By all of the reactions Darcy gathered from the citizens of the village of Midgard, she didn't need to ask to know what the problem was. _**He**_ had returned.

Darcy stepped out of the house and when Jane saw her she rushed to her baby sister in tears.

"Darcy! It's there! The eye!" she screamed.

Darcy, calm in situations of chaos, walked over to her father while Jane still clung to her embrace. She looked Coulson in the eye and saw the sorrow that was echoed within his soul. Darcy turned and looked upon the door. It was there, carved upon their door – the wolf's eye –**_ his_ **symbol.

For the first time in her life Darcy felt slightly faint.

No one knew exactly who or what _**he**_ was, but they acknowledged _**him**_ as the true enforcer and protector of the land. _**He**_ protected the village of Midgard from outsiders and the dangers from within and beyond the mountains of Asgard where _**he**_ was thought to live, but for all _**his**_ good deeds _**he**_ was a monster, known to the village as the Wolf King for none dared to speak _**his**_ true name out of fear.

As the legend of the valley village goes, Midgard used to be peaceful until one day out of nowhere, an awful storm and earthquake shook the mountains of Asgard and cracked them open, releasing hundreds of the Devil's minions, all sorts of monstrous icy creatures of darkness that terrorized Midgard and many villagers and warriors fell as victims to the cold evils and all seemed lost as the village's numbers quickly dwindled to the brink of extinction. Any local or hired hunter brave enough to go out and stop the monsters were never heard from again, unless bits and pieces of body parts counted.

It seemed as if the terror would continue until the village was no more. That is until a century ago, in the same year the terror began on the night before the Blood Moon, when a dark stranger in black appeared on an eight legged horse and offered to rid the village of the creatures and protect them from the evils. Desperate, the villagers quickly agreed and signed a contract the stranger provided. The stranger had left without a word and entered the Bifrost Forest that separated the village from the mountains. Many had thought the stranger dead until two days later, on the night after the Blood Moon, and declared that the monsters had been vanquished. As proof he brought back the head of one of them.

Grateful to the stranger, the villagers of Midgard asked how they could repay him for his kindness. The stranger had replied in a cold voice: "You were made to be ruled. I seek to rule you, now kneel before me."

The villagers had refused and offered something else, but the stranger was adamant. Then the leader of Midgard at the time, Fury's anceastor, had insulted the stranger with words that suggested trickery on his heroism and refused to bow and instead had demanded the stranger bow to him. Angry, the stranger drew out the contract and placed a curse on it and the village. "Since you refuse to bow willingly, your village and your descendants shall suffer my rule and wrath forever more. None born of this village may pass the Asgard Mountains; neither you, your children or your childrens' children. If any so attempt they shall die.

"The next Blood Moon comes nigh a score and five years. For your insolence you shall sacrifice to me that which is most precious to you – a pure daughter of your village. She should be in every essence a woman save her virtue still be intact and her heart unattached to another. You shall offer such a daughter as I choose to me the night before every Blood Moon. If it be a girl other than whom I have chosen or the chosen one flees from you the village shall know my displeasure.

"This is my curse upon you, Midgard. Know that I shall observe you closely and any attempt to defy me is futile and perilous. I shall kneel to no man. Thus are the words of the one, Loki."

With his curse placed upon Midgard, the sorcerer stranger called Loki had departed for the mountains and built there the grand and terrifying Castle Asgard. The next Blood Moon he was true to his word and he returned and claimed a girl named Annie. Her name and the names of the girls that followed to be his victims were carved into a cross that stood in the center of the village as a symbol of prayer for their souls.

Many times Darcy had read their names: Annie, Germaine, and Bodicea… now it seemed as if the fourth victim would be her poor sister. Darcy shuddered to think that tomorrow she would take part in carving the name of the lost loved one on the cross. Darcy couldn't take that. She couldn't stand by and let her innocent sweet older sister fall victim to the Wolf King.

Coulson was approached by Nick Fury. "Father Coulson, may I have a word away from your daughters?"

Coulson faintly nodded and followed Fury behind the cottage, away from prying ears.

"What do we do, Fury?" Coulson pleaded to the leader.

"We stick to the plan we made nineteen years ago. This incident changes nothing. It was always the plan that she be chosen."

"My God, what do I tell them? Both are unmarried and pure," Coulson pointed out.

"Exactly, which is why this circumstance is so damn perfect. One house, two girls - the Wolf King could have meant either one of them."

"She would never agree to this. She's too much stubborn like her father," Coulson remarked.

"You underestimate her. She's damn stubborn, but that's exactly what will save them both – and the rest of the village as well."

Coulson sighed with a heavy heart. He knew that either way he was going to lose, but this wasn't about him alone, it was about the entire village and the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. "What should we do? I don't know how to tell her that she is being,"

"Tell them nothing yet. Leave everything to me, Coulson," Fury stated resolutely. "I have a plan. If you will now excuse me I have to go speak to the blacksmith. Go and spend what time you have left together as a family."

Coulson nodded and watched as Fury stalked off back around the house, no doubt looking for Thor, although what reason or plan that the leader had whirling in his head that included the blacksmith's involvement Coulson hadn't a clue.

Heavy in both heart and spirit, the priest followed Fury's path and returned to his daughters. Looking at the two sisters embracing each other for comfort he wondered if either would ever be able to forgive him for what they were going to do to his daughters.

God forgive them for their betrayal and sacrifice, but there was no other way. They had to end once and for all the reign of Loki.


	2. Chapter 2

Howl to the Blood Moon Chapter 2

Darcy cradled Jane as the tender-hearted beauty profusely wept upon the thin white cotton shirt that Darcy was wearing under the brown leather chemise and wool skirt. There was nothing Darcy could say, nothing she could do, to soothe her older sister.

What was done was done and they had to follow command – at least that is what their father had told them when he had reentered the cottage. He now sat across from them in usual chair, his eyes transfixed intently upon the window beside the front door as if he expected the Wolf King to suddenly surge through the door and snatch Jane from Darcy's arms. At least that's what Darcy assumed, because her father just seemed to be gazing out of the window as if waiting for the arrival of someone.

His eyes flickered as if he saw something and the next moment there was a knock at the door. Coulson rose to answer it and as the door swung open Nick Fury stepped through the threshold, his usual black leather coat billowing behind him and revealing the ancient sword at his hip. Surprisingly he was followed into the house by the blacksmith, Thor, who was looking sheepish and a little awkward as he saw the two girls on the couch in a tangled mess of tears and hugs.

Darcy couldn't blame him as she was wondering why the blond gentle-giant was present at this particular moment. Respectfully she nodded to him as Jane continued weeping into Darcy's shirt, her dark brown curls drifting over the top of Jane's head covering her face so that all you could see past the distraught girl's shoulders were her straight light-brown tresses.

Thor respectively nodded in turn to Darcy and then nervously ruffled his thin blond beard. He was clearly uncomfortable with the situation as he shifted his feet as though he knew something they didn't.

Darcy turned her attention away from Thor back to Nick who was standing in the center of the room, silently and clearly demanding everyone's attention.

"It's time," Fury said simply and Jane went back to her screaming-crying.

Darcy wanted to flinch at the piercing echo of Jane's cries in her ear, but she restrained her impulse for her sister's sake. Instead she stroked her sister's hair, making cooing noises to calm her down. Coulson sank back into his chair and covered his face with his hand, sorrow evident on his usually happy features.

"I – I d-don't w-wa-want t-to d-d-die!" Jane sobbed into Darcy's bare shoulder between gasps.

"You are not going to die," Darcy scolded; the hope a lie in her voice. "The Wolf King doesn't kill."

"No," Coulson interrupted, "he does far worse." Darcy and Jane looked in wide-eyed fear at their father. A stabbing silence fell over the family as the Priest's words echoed and registered in the daughters' minds.

Darcy would have expected that blatant statement from Nick Fury, but not their sweet and conservative father. Even Fury seemed to be taken aback and Thor just stood there, his face emotionless and hard.

Finally Darcy broke the torturous quiet. "What do you mean?"

Coulson leaned forward in his chair like the world had suddenly put the weight of sins upon his back and rubbed his face in his hands like he was trying to wipe away invisible tears. "Do you remember what I taught you about the symbol of the color white?"

Darcy blinked, confused. "Dad, of course. It's the symbol of purity and virginity." She caught Thor shift uncomfortably in the corner of her eye at the mention of chastity.

"You girls have never seen this, but there is a protocol in offering a woman of the village to the Wolf King. She is dressed in white as proof to the Wolf King that she is pure."

"Well that makes sense, but what does that have to do with anything of what he wants?"

Fury began to speak. "He wants,"

"Fury, please," Coulson stopped the leader. "Let me tell them." Their father continued as if Fury hadn't interrupted and the man in question looked a little insulted at the interruption, but allowed the priest to continue. "The Wolf King asks for a virginal and unattached young woman, do you know why?"

"No clue until you tell me."

"When he takes them he makes the women fall in love with him somehow and then he takes their chastity out of wedlock. His victims become his mistresses and each bears him a child. As I understand it the children are monsters like him and the poor victims of his cruelty either die from the birth or…"

Darcy waited a moment and when it was clear that her father was lost she spoke up. "Or what? What happens besides death?"

Coulson remained silent almost as if refusing to say anything more. Fury approached him and put a hand upon his shoulder. "You've told them this much. You might as well tell them the rest."

Coulson let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't, Fury."

Fury nodded and turned to Darcy and Jane. "Come with me," he commanded and stalked out of the house, not looking back to see if anyone was following him.

Curious, Darcy eased Jane off the couch and began walking after Fury. Thor was suddenly at their side, reaching for Jane's arm. "I shall aide your sister, Darcy," he said with that sweet goofy smile of his.

Darcy willingly handed Jane off to Thor as they all hurried to catch up to Fury as he led them down the road to- "Why are we at your house, Fury?" Darcy asked the scary man.

"I want to show you someone," he simply growled and he opened the door to let them all in.

This was the first time Darcy or anyone had ever been inside Fury's house besides Coulson on Sundays after service. Darcy assumed Fury just wanted a private confession or such. Fury directed them down a narrow hallway filled with paintings of Fury's family and ancestors. He stopped in front of the largest painting of a beautiful young girl with rich mahogany skin and thick and long black tresses spilling in tiny curls past her waist. Her oval face held a sweet smile and sparkling eyes. She looked very happy sitting in a field of flowers in the bright sunlight wearing a light red dress.

"Who is this?" Darcy asked and Jane had gained enough of her senses back to poke Darcy for her bad manners.

"This is a painting of my older sister. It was done long ago."

"I didn't know that you have a sister."

Fury was silent. Jane tried to amend Darcy's disregard for the sensitivity of the situation. "She is very beautiful," she remarked to Fury in her whispery voice.

Fury gazed at the woman in the portrait with sadness and spoke in a low and quiet tone. "Yes, she was. It was her beauty that was her doom."

The group fell silent again as Fury removed the painting from the wall, revealing a narrow door hidden behind it. Large and thick bolts and locks ran all along the door and Fury began undoing each of them one by one.

"Do you remember the name of the last girl who the Wolf King took?" Fury asked as he undid the last bolt.

"It was Boadicea, right?" Darcy replied.

"That's right." Fury opened the door and took a lantern that was hanging beside the door. He lit the wick and held the light above him inside the door to reveal a stairwell leading down into the dark.

He walked down into the blackness, the group warily following him. The room was surprisingly warm for this time of year and considering that it was locked off from the rest of the house so it would hardly ever be given any heat.

They came upon another door at the bottom of the stairs and Fury took out a large key from his vest and unlocked it as well. "Wait here," he told them as he handed the lantern to Thor then cracked the door and slipped through the opening. For a brief moment the stairway was illuminated by the light coming from the room beyond and then Fury closed the door, cutting off the extra light.

For what seemed like an hour to Darcy they waited in the dark with the lantern just barely giving off enough light to show their faces. Each had on an expression of genuine confusion as to what was going on.

Suddenly Fury reopened the door, this time all the way, and stepped back for them to enter. The three walked through cautiously, but quickly so as not to anger Fury.

At first Darcy was blinded by the brightness of the room and wondered why Fury would keep a cellar so well lit. Once her eyes adjusted Darcy saw that they were standing in an underground bed-chamber. In amazement she began to wander around the room. There was a large bed in the corner with red sheets of silk that Darcy had never seen or felt before. Her eye was drawn to a rather giant wardrobe large enough to fit both her and Jane's entire summer and winter wear inside. She saw Jane admiring the jewelry that lay on a few small tables placed around the room.

What attracted Darcy the most was that in the farthest corner of the room there were piles of paintings leaning against the wall with various jars of paint colors, brushes both clean and dirty scattered around in jars or on the floor. There were used rags and stained clothes tossed around the supplies.

Darcy began to finger through the portraits in awe. Some looked as if they had been done by the hands of a distressed child while others were seemed to be done by a calm and steady hand that only a professional would have. The objects of the pictures ranged from just swirls of dark and harsh colors to very detailed portraits. There were especially many of Fury and elders she assumed was his family. She recognized the style of the art from the many family portraits the villagers hung in their houses.

"You seem to admire my art, young one," a deep feminine voice said from behind the group. Darcy turned and watched as a woman around Fury's age stepped out of the darkness from a privy-room Darcy hadn't noticed before. The woman was wearing a red dress that was spotted with paint and her face and greying hair had a few bright colors caught in them.

Darcy couldn't help but stare at the woman – even in middle age she was a beauty. The woman smiled at her and Jane's cough at Darcy snapped her out of her trance. "I'm sorry," she stammered to their hostess. "I couldn't help but be curious. These are very beautiful," Darcy complimented the portraits. "Did you do all of these?"

Fury stepped forward and led the woman out of the darkness as she spoke. "Thank you and yes I did," replied the woman in red. "If you would permit me, I would like to draw your portraits. You are all very beautiful and it is not often my brother allows me visitors. I would like to remember you."

"Your brother?" Jane squeaked.

"How careless of you, Nick; you have forgotten your manners." The woman scolded Fury as if he were a child.

Fury turned to the three young adults with a grieving emotion on his face. "Jane, Thor, Darcy, I would like for you all to meet my older sister."

They all nodded to the lady in red as she walked towards them and held out her hand to Darcy. "A pleasure to meet you, Darcy. My name is Boadicea."


	3. Chapter 3

Howl to the Blood Moon Chapter 3

Darcy had to do a double take as the name registered in her mind. "Boadicea? As in, _Boadicea?_"

"Why yes, dear. Is there something wrong with my name?"

Darcy opened her mouth to remark that the woman was _the _Boadicea, the woman whom the Wolf King had last taken and yet her she was alive and well, but then she saw Fury walk up behind his sister and give Darcy a pointed look that said clearly for her to keep quiet.

Darcy instead put on a smile and spoke to Boadicea. "No, of course not! It's just that I've always admired your art. You do paintings for the villagers, don't you?"

Boadicea smiled brightly. "I do! It is so wonderful to have an admirer! Are you an artist as well?"

"Not exactly. I just fool around with paints and drawings," Darcy replied honestly. It was the first honest thing she had said all day.

"My dear, when it comes to art there is no such thing as fooling around with it. No matter if anyone likes your work or not you are still an artist as long as it makes you happy. Now, please allow me to sketch you!"

"A-alright," Darcy said, glancing over at Jane and Thor who seemed to have been forgotten by her and Boadicea.

"Oh, and your friends as well! I want to remember all of your sweet young faces!" She grabbed a chair from her sketch desk and plopped Darcy down into it as she snatched up her sketch book and some charcoals and began to furiously draw. "It was so nice of you to come by and pay me a visit. I hardly ever get visitors."

For the rest of their visit Boadicea chattered on and on about her artwork and her brother and how weary her life down here was and how lonely she got. By the end she had done all of their portraits and was near bursting with happiness as Darcy promised to bring by her artwork later.

As Fury closed the door and locked his sister in her room they were all quiet and remained silent and reserved until they returned to the Coulson household.

Coulson was still sitting in his chair in the main room and they all took a seat on the sofa except for Fury who leaned against the door. "I assume you met Boadicea," Coulson stated. They all nodded.

"What's wrong with her? Why doesn't she remember?" Darcy asked.

Fury answered in a voice colder than usual. "She was completely mad when she returned to the village one day. She was attacking anyone who tried to help her. We managed to restrain her and calm her down enough to understand that she had somehow escaped the Wolf King.

"She was very weak and it was clear that she had recently given birth. Whatever it was that she birthed had scarred and nearly killed her. She refused to talk about it or how she escaped, but she kept repeating that he would find her and he would bring her back and kill her for something she had tried to do to the offspring.

"One day she snapped and tried to kill herself by going down to the creek and placing a stone on her chest to keep her at the bottom. I found her just in time to revive her, but when she came around a few days later she didn't remember a thing about the Wolf King or that she had been his prisoner or anything. We thought she was fine. Then one day someone mentioned the Wolf King and her memories came flooding back and she went into a mad and panicked state thinking she was back at Castle Asgard. She nearly killed me and I knew then that I had to keep her safe, keep her hidden from the world."

"Why did you take us to meet her?" Jane inquired.

"I wanted you to see what the Wolf King does to our people. The fate that awaits his victims. Death or madness."

At that Jane began sobbing once again and both Thor and Darcy coddled her. "I don't want to die! I don't want to go mad! I don't want to go!"

"Silence, Miss Jane!" Fury shouted above her cries. "You are not going to be given to the Wolf King!"

Jane and Darcy's heads snapped up at that fear and relief written in their eyes.

"What?" Jane stammered, unwillingly to believe this miracle. "How is this possible? The law is clear. I am to be sacrificed."

"Not if you answer me one question," Fury stated, leaning down eye-to-eye with Jane. "Is your heart free?"

"What?"

"Are you free to give your heart to him? Or are you in love with another?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Please, Miss Jane, I'm trying to save your life here. Is there a man in the village whom you are in love with?"

Darcy caught the blush rush to Jane's face and she bowed her head and mousey replied: "yes."

"Good. Now, who is it?"

Jane was silent. She was too embarrassed to reveal her feelings Darcy knew and she coaxed her sister to talk. "Jane, you have to tell Fury who you love. We all know who it is. All you have to do is say it out loud. It's just us, no one will mock you."

Jane looked up into the eyes of her little sister and then glanced over to Thor sitting beside her. She blushed even deeper when their eyes met and with a small voice she managed to say his name.

Fury however, was not satisfied. "You need to speak louder Miss Jane, so that we all can hear you."

Resolutely Jane lifted her head to face Fury. "I love Thor. I always have." She turned toward the giant in question. "Ever since we were children I have loved you, but I was scared to tell anyone, especially you. I was afraid you did not feel the same way."

Thor just stared at Jane while she confessed. A smile of relief and joy spread over his lips by the time she was done and he broke away from her side on the sofa to kneel before her. He took her hands from Darcy's embrace and began his own confession. "Jane Foster Coulson, I too have loved you for many a year. Never were you far from my thoughts and I hoped to Odin that you thought about me too. Now that I know you do I would like to ask," he pulled out a small gold band, "will you marry me?"

If Darcy felt shocked then she could not comprehend how Jane felt. There was a long silence as Jane and Thor just stared at each other. Darcy saw Thor swallow nervously and she poked Jane in the ribs to snap her out of the trance.

"Yes," Jane said happily. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" she shouted and threw herself into Thor's embrace. They shared a tender yet affectionate kiss and Thor slipped the ring on Jane's finger as tears began to again flow from her eyes, only there was a smile on her face this time.

"Woman, you cry too much," Fury grumbled.

Darcy doubted that anyone except her heard him because currently her father was being attacked by her sister.

"Father, you will perform the ceremony, won't you?" Jane begged.

Coulson rose to his feet again, a grin playing at the corner of his mouth. "How can I refuse one of my daughters?"

Thor sighed in relief and Jane tackled her father in a hug. Coulson reached around her to shake Thor's hand. "It's a good match," he said to them.

"I promise I will do everything to make Jane happy and protect her with my life," Thor said in earnest to Coulson.

"I know you will," the priest replied.

"Father Coulson, I think it would be best for Jane's safety if you went ahead and performed the ceremony," Fury stated. Darcy had almost forgotten he was there.

"Of course," Coulson said almost sadly.

"Wait a minute," Jane remarked. "What about the Wolf King? He demands a sacrifice!"

"He shall have one. You are not the only woman of this household Miss Jane," Fury indicated.

Darcy saw her sister's eyes grow wide and felt her own heart skip a beat. "No," Jane sobbed. "No, no you can't mean,"

"Miss Darcy will take your place Miss Jane," Fury interrupted casually as if he was talking about Darcy taking Jane's place for something other than a life-or-death sacrificial ceremony.

Jane ran to Darcy and threw her arms around her little sister. "No! I will not let my sister die in my place!"

"Please Jane, we have a plan," Coulson interjected.

"Father! How could you let this happen?"

"I have no choice if we wish to rid ourselves and Midgard of that monster once and for all!"

"At the sacrifice of Darcy's life?"

"You do not know the situation! Darcy is the only one that can save us!"

Darcy finally had enough. "How? How exactly can I save the village from Loki?"

Coulson flinched at the mention of his name. "I have repeatedly asked you not to say his name. And… it's a long story, one for which we do not have time."

"If you would stop stalling and tell us then we will have time," Darcy pointed out.

Coulson stopped by the door and looked at Fury. "It's your choice to tell them."

"Tell us what?" Jane asked.

Coulson hesitated then hung his head and nodded. "Alright, sit down and I'll tell you everything."

Jane lead Thor to sit on the sofa beside her and then pulled Darcy to sit on her other side, their hands clutching tightly.

Coulson resumed his position in the chair and Fury came to stand by him. They were all hushed for a moment until Coulson turned to his youngest daughter. "Darcy, you know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do, dad."

"You and Jane are all that I have left and I would do anything to keep you safe, but the time has come to make you aware of certain realities." Coulson took a deep breath. "Darcy, you… you are adopted."

Darcy's brain stopped working. "What?"

Fury interjected on Coulson's behalf. "Nineteen years ago Lord Anthony Stark found you outside of the village. He brought you here for Coulson to raise as his own and protect."

"We knew as soon as we saw you that you would be the village's salvation, Darcy. You were Odin's gift of deliverance to us. You are not of this village therefore the Wolf King has no control or command over you. You are impervious to his powers. If you went to Castle Asgard in Jane's place then you could defy him and find out his weakness and finally rid the village of that monster."

Darcy was silent. She didn't know what to say. All this time.

"Darcy?" Coulson stroked his daughter's face and brought her big brown eyes to meet his sorry blue ones.

That seemed to bring Darcy back to the realization of what they had done. "Monster," she said venomously. "Who is the true monster?" She rose to her feet and confronted the man she had always called father. "You lied to me. You betrayed me! All these years I thought you loved me! I thought I was your daughter! It turns out I was just a tool!

"You were only keeping me safe to use me against Loki! I trusted you! All these years I loved and trusted you and you tell me that it's all come down to my being a useful weapon against your enemy! You are the true monster, Father!

"You are as cruel and heartless a creature as Loki! Find someone else to act as your tool because I refused to be used any longer!"

With those words Darcy darted towards the door and ran out of the house in tears, a passionate anger burning an inferno in her heart and ripping it apart. She was so consumed by her rage at the betrayal of her own people that she did not hear Fury's voice echo around the village.

"Barton! Stop Darcy Coulson!"

Darcy did not feel the poison dart pierce her skin, but she did feel her body falling, falling closer to the ground as the oblivion of the anesthetic took over her and she hit the ground.

Before sleep took over her. Darcy thought she heard a faint howl resound in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

Howl to the Blood Moon Chapter 4

Darcy felt her mind being pulled back, far back; spiraling out of her control as much as she tried to yank her consciousness to obey her will, but it continued its journey through the depths of her brain, as if her conscious state was searching for something in earnest for Darcy to see.

Unseen colors that she could not name swam before her vision in mystical swirls and misty clouds. The colors flashed on and off in her vision and the sudden change of shades hurt her to look at. The farther into her mind she traveled, the more everything began to hurt until she thought her mind would collapse in upon itself or her skull would split from the building pressure until suddenly everything stopped. Everything was quiet and still as if her mind was at peace somehow after finding what it wanted. Her consciousness opened a portal and Darcy began to dream.

Dream Sequence 1 (Darcy is 5 in this)

Darcy was a big girl – daddy had said she was a big girl now. So why didn't daddy let her go play with Jane and the other big kids? It wasn't fair that daddy was still making her take a nap at noon. Darcy was five and two months, so really she was too old for an afternoon naptime any more! Darcy sat up in her new big girl bed, a sudden idea coming to her. She would just have to show daddy that she was a big girl who didn't need a nap!

Quietly, Darcy scrambled out of her open window, her short legs not quite touching the ground so she was required to jump, but she didn't mind; she had jumped from higher places before trying to keep up with Natasha.

Carelessly Darcy wandered to the edge of the wood and began walking, picking up odds and ends things along the way, examining them and then tossing them into the woods if she didn't like them.

It was hot out today, hotter than usual for the summertime and Darcy was getting tired again. Her eyes started to get heavy and no matter how hard she tried she could not keep her lids open. She began to drag her feet and half-way sleep walk. Darcy was beginning to think of returning home when she tripped on a very thick log and landed face down in the dirt. Well, that was one way to wake up.

Darcy rolled over and immediately wished she hadn't. What she thought to be a log was actually a gigantic snake – the absolute scariest and biggest snake she had ever seen. He had to be big enough to wrap three times around her house! The serpent was looming over Darcy, its beady golden eyes set in its giant head glaring pointedly at her and its long forked tongue slipping quickly in and out of its mouth to tick Darcy's nose, smelling her. His blue scales rippled in anticipation and Darcy shivered. She had heard of only one blue snake in her life and she hoped this wasn't him.

After a moment of the two just starring at each other, Darcy couldn't take the silence anymore. "Are you the great snake of Asgard, Jormungard?" Darcy asked him. If he was, he would be magic and could understand her – if he wasn't, she didn't like to think about the punishment either way.

The snake raised and cocked its head and then to Darcy's surprise, nodded. Darcy didn't know whether to be happy that the snake actually understood her or to fear for her life because of the tales.

"Aren't you going to eat me?"

Jormungard backed up and blinked in surprise. Where did the girl get such an idea like that? In any case he vehemently shook his head in confusion.

"I thought you ate bad children who disobeyed their parents and wandered too far from the village. That's what everyone says you do you know, but you don't do that do you?"

This little girl talked too much for Jormungard's liking, but she was the first human to ever not run screaming in terror from him. He should eat her for disturbing his afternoon snooze in the sun, but she was an entertaining little girl and he sort of liked her already or at least was willing to tolerate her. He was a reptile and therefore he was cold-blooded like his father could be, yet Jormungard wasn't that way by choice. He tried to care, he did, but his cold-blooded and icy hearted nature made him dangerous and he couldn't change his natural state of being. However, he could resist biting the girl though his instincts longed to.

He shook his head in answer to her question and also to distract those harmful thoughts.

"Thank you for not eating me. Or biting me. Or squeezing me to death! My name is Darcy, Darcy Lewis Coulson." Darcy yawned at the end of her introduction. "Can I stay and take a nap with you Jormungard? I'm t-tiiired."

Jormungard didn't really have a choice in the matter because as soon as she had finished the sentence, the little girl named Darcy swayed on her feet and then started falling as though she were asleep. Jormungard raised the middle of his massive body and caught the girl long before she hit the ground. He didn't know what to do really. He had never taken care of a child before, but she was so helpless sleeping that he didn't have the heart to leave her like that. His father would laugh at that – a serpent having a conscience. In reality Jormungard's primitive state liked this easy prey and was suggesting that Jormungard squeeze the life-breath out of the little creature. The great serpent's eyes narrowed and for a split moment he almost gave in to his father's cold-blooded nature, but the sweet nature of his mother kicked in and pulled him back just in time. Jormungard knew what he had to do – he had to help the poor human called Darcy.

Carefully, Jormungard coiled up and made his body into something of a round scaly bed to let the girl sleep on. She curled up, seeming to be comfortable and Jormungard couldn't resist placing his head on her side which she grabbed in her sleep and hugged to her. Jormungard smiled as he kept a close eye on the woods for predators. This girl was so different at this young age already – he couldn't wait to see her bravery and courage when she was older.

If his father were here, Jormungard knew that he would order his serpent son to at least bite the girl a bit to teach her a lesson about trusting too much and letting her guard down, but the snake didn't have the will to bring this girl to harm. There was something special about her that prevented him from giving in to his cold-bloodedness.

Hours passed and nothing remotely dangerous had even tried to challenge Jormungard for Darcy as a meal. He was almost dozing off from sheer boredom when he tasted a new scent in the air. He tasted humans and a rather large group of them too. He knew they were looking for his little friend, trying to find her before the sun set.

Reluctantly he nudged her awake and was rewarded with a bit smile and sparkling, but tired eyes. The girl was too precious for her own good – melting an icy heart like his with just a bat of her lashes. His father would be so ashamed of him, but his mother possibly would be proud from what he knew about her anyway.

Darcy looked in the direction her name was being called. She heard her daddy and her sister calling for her along with Mr. Fury who did not at all like snakes. He would kill Jormungard on sight.

Darcy jumped off of Jormungard's body. "Thank you, Jormungard for letting me sleep on you and watching over me while I was sleeping." Jormungard nodded slowly to the girl, a little bored by the formality and reconsidering eating her. "You have to go now. Mr. Fury hates snakes and he will try to kill you and I don't want you to die. You're my new friend! Is that okay, Jormungard?"

Jormungard was more than taken aback by her proposal. He had never had a friend before and had never even considered the need for one. He liked to be alone, unlike his older brother who constantly needed attention. The only other people he knew were his half-siblings and none of them really got along. Although Jormungard did not like company he thought that he liked this little girl's spunk. It would be nice to have someone to call a friend at least once in his miserable serpent life.

Jormungard nodded to Darcy with a smile. Her little face lit up with joy and before Jormungard could react, Darcy ran up to him and embraced him in a fierce hug.

The serpent froze stiff. No one had ever dared hug him before. He was so stunned that he hardly noticed Darcy had let go and began running to her family in the distance, waving goodbye to Jormungard as she did. Every primitive urge the serpent had to chase after her for an easy meal was easily disregarded. He knew then that he would never hurt Darcy Lewis Coulson and that he would strive to protect her as long as she was in his company.

Darcy was running back up to the village group and she knew that she was in trouble by the look on Fury's face, but her sister and daddy both grabbed her and embraced her with care and happiness.

Abruptly she again felt herself being pulled roughly out of their embrace and felt her consciousness carrying her far away again, but this time she woke up in the present day – back to her horrid reality.


	5. Chapter 5

Howl to the Blood Moon Chapter 5

Darcy steadily awoke to a cool cloth being gently pressed to her dizzying head, the cold water from the rag dripping down her chin and neck.

She attempted to open her eyes, but the light from the world of daylight instantly sent a shock of pain to her head and she shut the lids again, moaning to express her discomfort.

"Darcy?" Jane exclaimed urgently to her little sister.

Darcy mumbled something in reply that was too muffled for Jane to make out. "Darcy, I could not understand you. What do you want? Water? Food? Maybe another blanket?"

Jane's excessive fast-paced talking was beginning to grate on Darcy's brain forming a stronger ache bulging against her skull. She moaned again in complaint.

"Darcy? What's wrong? Natasha, what's wrong? What did Clint do to her?"

Another voice that Darcy could not mistake for Natasha Romanoff's, even if Jane had never mentioned she was in the room, resounded in a firm yet quiet reply. "Jane, for the love of Midgard, be quiet! You are probably giving her a migraine like you are giving me."

Darcy moaned what she hoped sounded like an "uhhuh" to them and turned her face away from the light, trying to bury her eyes into the pillow.

Jane spoke more gently to her ailing sister. "Oh, yes, sorry. What do you need Darcy?"

With all of her strength which was actually growing by the minute, Darcy lifted her heavy limbs and pointed in the direction of the hateful light piercing through her tightly shut eye-lids.

"Close curtains," she commanded of her sister and then allowed her heavy hand to fall back upon the feathered mattress.

Darcy could understand why her head hurt and she felt feverish, but she could not comprehend why her limbs felt so dramatically weighted all of a sudden. Even when she was sick moving did not seem as difficult as it was now.

She heard Jane reach over her body and pull the glorious curtains closed, shutting out the torturous daylight. Again, Darcy tried to slowly open her eyes, and this time sweet dimness greeted her awakening vision.

At first her senses were blurred and she cold only distinguish the shape and shadowy colors of the other two women in the room. She saw the thin and petite outline of her adopted sister and the blood red waves of Natasha's hair set against her pale flesh and her black leather suit of armor.

"Where am I?" Darcy asked. As her vision cleared Darcy was able to clearly see the relieved and joyful look on Jane's face and the ever set expression of observance Natasha's face always held.

"We are at home, in your room," Jane answered sweetly, trying to sugarcoat the "home" bit, maybe to make Darcy feel better about finding out the whole adoption situation or to make her forget about it. Either way it was not working for Darcy.

"Welcome back to the living," Natasha sassed. "Well, for now at least."

"Natasha!" Jane exclaimed, again a little too loudly for Darcy's liking, never mind the fact that Jane was only trying to defend her little sister.

"Well, it's the truth, Jane, no sense in hiding it from her," Natasha pointed out.

"Nice to see you too, Romanoff," Darcy grumbled at her friend-enemy. You never really could tell with Natasha what was going on in her mind. The woman was like a black widow spider – all loving and willing to be friends or partners until you've served your objective purpose and then she eats you alive.

What did Clint Barton see in her again? Oh yeah, she could kick his ass if he tried to leave her or make his life a living hell or he just loved that womanly body of hers that was always dressed in tight black leather armor whenever she was called to arms with her fiancé to defend the village.

If Darcy had been raised by Nick Fury instead of Phil Coulson she was sure she would be just as bad ass as Natasha Romanoff if not more so. Darcy sent a personal silent curse to Fate.

"What happened?" Darcy asked, her throat rough and she suddenly felt parched. "Jane, you said something about water earlier, some would be nice now."

Darcy closed her eyes again as the light, though dim, still built to her head ache. She heard Jane pour water into a tin cup beside her and then felt her sister softly lifting her head to help her drink. Darcy eagerly consumed the cold liquid, trying to rid her mouth and throat of the dry taste that was mysteriously there.

"Clint Barton shot you with one of his knock-out arrow-darts," Natasha filled in. "They have some nasty side-effects such as the migraine and dehydration. Also, you hit your head really hard when you fell from passing out."

Darcy finished her fifth cup of water and nodded her contentment to Jane. "You always know how to make a person feel better Romanoff," Darcy replied sarcastically.

"If it makes you feel any better, Clint hesitated to shoot you. He almost disobeyed a direct order from Fury and let you run off into the forest."

Darcy glanced up at the red-head. "Why didn't he?"

"He knew that if you went into the forest on the night of the Blood Moon you would escape the mountains or be killed and either way the village would suffer and every thing that Fury and Coulson have been planning the past nineteen years to save Midgard would be all in vain and the village would be punished by the Wolf King."

"Makes sense. I don't blame him for shooting me, but I do blame the village for taking advantage of me. That's something that will never go away."

Gingerly, Darcy moved her body snake-like, wriggling to sit up on the bed and the entire time her limbs still carried that dragging heaviness as though they were being weighted down.

Jane knelt beside the head of Darcy's bed and rubbed her sister's pale arms. Darcy's skin had always been fairly pale, like the color of milky cream and sugar no matter how long she stayed out in the sun. Her lips were constantly red from her nervous habit of biting them and stood out against her pale skin. Darcy's dark brown hair that was deceived to be black in the darkness only added contrast and made her look ever more ghostly.

Today, however, Jane knew that Darcy's paled appearance was not normal and healthy-looking like it normally was. Darcy looked scared and sickly like a person knowing their time of death is drawing near.

"How are you feeling?" Jane asked of Darcy, knowing this was a pointless question that would have a rhetorical or sarcastic response.

Darcy chose to go with sarcasm. "Oh, I feel fine. Not counting, well, you know the heartbreak of not only my family, but the entire village's betrayal of me that has been knowingly built up the duration of my entire existence.

"Let's see, also the painful rush of poison pumping through my veins from the arrow or dart or whatever that Hawkeye Barton shot into my back.

"Oh, and my absolute favorite part of all of this: the fact that I am going to be the next sacrificial bride to Loki and have either insanity or death to look forward to within the next year. To me, that's just the sprinkle of sugar on the strawberries and the icing on the cake.

"Other than that, I feel perfect, just peachy, you know? I'm just so content unless of course I have left anything off of the list."

Jane and Natasha both shuddered when Darcy mentioned the Wolf King's name. No one dared mention his name. It was considered highly as bad luck, but under Darcy's circumstances neither one of them protested that she had reason to fear using the name at this point in time.

Jane began to sob, trying to fight the tears as she spoke to her sister. "Darcy, I – I'm so,"

"You say you're sorry and I will hurt you," Darcy threatened her adopted sibling, a hint of the rage she had felt earlier now rebuilding within her and glinting in her distrusting gaze.

"That's going to be a difficult task for you considering you are chained to the bed," Natasha slipped in the conversation.

Darcy did an abrupt double take in her mind and harshly opened her eyes, ignoring the screaming pain in her mind that came with doing so. She could not have heard Natasha's comment correctly. "Do what?" Darcy screeched.

Darcy quickly glanced down at her wrists and saw the golden cuffs shackled to her frail joints. In a panic she tore away the sheets to reveal her imprisoned ankles. Now she understood why her limbs felt so heavy and weighted down – because they literally were!

"When?" Darcy snarled coldly. She waited for either her adopted sister or her old friend to answer her. She was not kidding around any more.

Jane was the one who answered her. Her voice was soft, like a mouse tip-toeing past a cat trying not to set it off. However, the cat knew the mouse was there and was just waiting for the right noise to set the predator off on the kill. Darcy was that cat right now.

Jane began her recount of what happened. "When you passed out, that sweet stable boy Steve,"

"Rodgers? That quiet guy who always puts sand in bags, hangs them up and then punches them until they burst and fall?"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "How many Steve's do we know in this village?"

Darcy shot Natasha a nasty glare. "I just always thought he had anger issues." She held up her wrists to indicate the chains. "I never thought he was into bondage."

"Amazing that you can still joke about intercourse considering your fate."

"You want to trade places? Trust me, I will be more than happy to."

Natasha sneered up at Darcy. "You know that I do not do so well in chains and I have a contract with Clint."

Darcy smirked back at Natasha. "I love how you call an engagement a contract. Now, can someone please tell me when and why I was chained to my bed?"

Jane stammered a bit and then continued. "Well, Steve was beside himself with worry as were Father and I when we saw you drop down. Steve was stronger though and he picked you up and was halfway to Dr. Banner's until Clint told him that the drug would wear off in six hours.

"Fury told him to take you home and once he left, Fury ordered Natasha and I to – well, we, we,"

"He ordered us to prep you for the ceremonial offering tonight. He's going through with it," Natasha finished.

Darcy fell still, silent – it was one of those silences that falls over the world when it takes a deep breath before a growing storm unleashes its fury.

This is how the room was at that moment. Darcy was the growing storm and Jane and Natasha and the rest of the villagers were the ones holding their breath, as if waiting for the building rage they knew was coming to finally let loose upon them.

The fury broke sooner that they expected.

Darcy severed her hold on her anger and allowed the wild in her to take over. She thrashed about on the bed with all the strength her body possessed.

Darcy screamed at Jane and Natasha and the world she knew was outside waiting, almost roaring her curses at them like and angry lioness taken from the wild and locked in a tiny cage.

She commanded the other two women to release her, shrieking at them until her voice was hoarse again. She felt the tears wanting to break again, but she denied her body to let them loose.

Darcy would not allow herself to either bend or break. She would not beg or grovel her way out of this. Darcy would fight, fight to the bitter end of her willpower.

As she struggled against her bonds for the next hour or so, the sun began to set behind the woods and the darker the world became the harder Darcy fought. She fought so hard against the shackles her wrists and ankles began to chaff and bleed from the abuse.

When the last of the sun faded away to give power to the Moon, Darcy still had not given up the fight and would not give up. She made a pledge to herself that come Hell or high water she would not remain a prisoner.


	6. Chapter 6

Howl to the Blood Moon Chapter 6

The shadow of the setting sun slid like a poisonous ink stain through the village of Midgard casting a short-lived shroud upon the villagers who braved the outdoors this night.

As the last of the daylight descended, the rising Blood Moon slowly began to steadily bathe the citizens and Midgard in an illumination of pooling blood spilling from the eye of the Heavens.

The bravest individuals who remained outside to witness the ceremony gathered to walk the path leading into the sacred glade just on the other side of the ominous forest edge alongside of Darcy – the first girl in the history of the village to ever refuse to be a sacrifice and had actively tried to run away from her chosen fate.

She hated them. She hated them all. She would have her revenge she knew. One day…

Darcy stumbled as Coulson, the man she thought to be her own father, followed her down the forest path by a strong chain clasped to a heavy metal collar locked securely around her throat. Fury led the parade with another chain linked to the front of her collar.

Darcy couldn't blame them for their precautions – she had tried to kill Fury earlier when she had viciously ripped Jane's brooch off of her dress and attempted to stab the leader of her betrayers in the neck. He did not deserve to be stabbed in the heart – Darcy was sure he lacked one. Either way Darcy had failed in her first attempt at murder. Damn Natasha for her rapid reflexes.

Most of the village's men and older women followed behind the main group, some openly praying for her to be accepted as a proper sacrifice while others were keeping silent yet as always in groups such as this there were a few who were actually cursing and insulting her for nearly condemning Midgard by running away.

She took the betrayal, the insults, pretentious prayers – she took it all and let everything burrow deep down inside her heart where she allowed the emotions to sit in waiting and fester like a fungus.

She nearly laughed at the few who were brave enough to catch her eye and foolish enough to dare reflect bogus pity from their pores. She did not want or need their pity and she could ignore their curses, but Darcy could not handle the ache in her heart as she watched Coulson lead her closer to her doom that lay just beyond the shadow of the trees.

Darcy had been played for a fool and betrayed by the man she had loved and trusted with the faith of a child. Darcy hated him and hated herself in doing so. The one person she could not bring herself to despise beyond all reasoning was Jane – she could never have sour feelings towards her sweet and ignorant older sister for long. Jane's innocent generosity and genuine care for others was always contagious and it made it extremely difficult not to at least like the woman.

Jane, for her part, was doing her best to keep from publicly weeping an ocean of tears for Darcy as she slowly strolled beside her younger sister, clasping her arm tightly, too afraid to let go of Darcy. Thor marched faithfully behind his bride-to-be, silent yet supportive of his comrades as always.

Darcy couldn't help but feel jealous of her sister. Jane was going to be able to marry the man she loved and not have some twisted fate thrust on her. For a moment Darcy wished she and Jane had exchanged places, but that thought was soon banished. Darcy knew that Jane would never survive an ordeal like this. She was intelligent, in a book-worm way, but her body was frail unlike Darcy's which was strong from living the life of a rough and tumble type of girl; a boyish girl.

Darcy was more of a plotter in her intellect. With the right amount of time and focus, Darcy could produce some wild schemes and traps to save herself and could come up with a few clever on-the-spot tactics as well. Darcy was the kind of person who could trick the trickster.

She wondered now if that was truly her personality or if she had been raised to be especially like that. She wondered if anything about her was factual and not part of some elaborate scheme. The whole thing made Darcy's head spin. She returned her focus to who was following closest to her.

Behind Thor walked Steve who was as equally silent, yet his face supported as little emotion as possible. He held a well-known fancy for Darcy – well known to everyone except for Darcy herself – and his gut was wrenching at the thought of her having to become the bride of such a heartless creature as the Wolf King.

To Steve, right now Darcy looked more than a bride in her flowing dress of white. The wind of the forest whipped the trails and folds of the frail fabric around her fair body, making her seem to be some sort of nymph or goddess. Steve thought she looked liked an ethereal creature not deserving the punishment of belonging to this mortal world let alone being a sacrifice.

As for Darcy's view on the dress she had been forced into, it was one of the most comfortable things she had ever worn. However, the fabric was very frail and thin, made to be easily torn and not that warm especially on such a cold night as the Blood Moon. The stained sphere seemed to zap all of the warmth from the world it basked in its glow.

Darcy shivered against either the cold or the foreboding future to which she stepped ever closer down the path. She knew that right now it was hopeless to attempt an escape. Not only did Nick Fury and Coulson have a metal collar on her, but Fury had ordered Clint Barton – Darcy's first ever crush and her best friend since they were little – to keep an arrow trained on her at all times.

Oh, it wasn't an arrow that would kill; it was one of those little poisoned arrows that would put a person out for hours. Dr. Bruce Banner – a man whom Darcy always thought had some serious anger issues – had discovered the poison and Darcy had given Barton the idea to form it into a weapon.

How she wished that Odin would grant prayers for vengeance.

She was roughly pulled from her thoughts when Fury yanked her forward by the chain attached to her collar and pushed her against the metal cross that stood as the sacrificial site. On instinct Darcy struggled against Fury and Coulson and Barton both had to assist in restraining her.

First Fury took away the old destroyed chains from Loki's last visit and then threaded new chains and cuffs through the cross to restrain Darcy. Her arms were spread across on either side of her and her wrists were tightly cuffed by new metal links that pinched her skin horribly. A large leather belt was then buckled and locked around her waist by Fury while her adopted parent and Barton shackled her ankles.

Darcy caught Jane's eye and saw the confusion there. "Excuse me, Sir Fury?" Jane stammered out in fear.

Fury whirled around to pierce Jane with his hard one-eyed gaze. "Yes?" he replied with an edge of impatience.

"H-how is it that the… the… Wolf King can… undo the locks?"

In Darcy's mind, Jane had made a damn good point. Just how was Loki going to have the patience to unlock all of her chains if he's supposed to be in a bloodlust rage?

Fury sighed and went back to securing Darcy to the cross as he explained. "All of the chains are linked in the back. He just bites through the chains' crossing point."

Jane let out a soft little "oh" and hung her head as Thor wrapped a strong and caring arm around her.

Darcy felt Fury give the chains one final tug before he was satisfied she was secure. He turned and spoke to Coulson, his voice still unwavering. "Father Coulson, would you like to say a few words before we all depart?"

Before Coulson could respond, a voice rarely heard in the village echoed over the crowd. "Uh, yes wait! I would like to say something first, please! Thank you."

Darcy could not see who was making the crowd part as two figures – one of them clearly a man – made their way to the cross, but as they reached the platform they threw off their hoods and Darcy almost wanted to smile despite her situation. She felt relief and comfort at seeing the faces of the two people she knew would not betray her consciously – her mentors Pepper and Tony.

Technically she was to address them as Lord and Lady Stark, but they had allowed her to forgo the formalities long ago. They lived outside the village as they were not bound by the curse – neither had been born there. Tony's family had been the only nobility in the outside world to respond to Midgard's plea for help and so had taken over the duties of overseeing the village, a duty which fell to Tony being the only child.

Besides being filthy rich, Tony was a genius inventor even if he was a bit of a philanthropist and had been a major playboy before he married Pepper. After Pepper and Tony had married, she assigned herself as the teacher of Midgard and set up a school for the children.

Darcy and Jane had spent countless days at Stark Manor with Pepper taking extra lessons. Darcy however had taken a shine to Tony and his inventions and he had immediately taken her on as a prodigy. She caused all sorts of mischief and trouble around the manor which led to Lord and Lady Stark nicknaming her: mischief maker.

They truly cared for her. If anyone would save Darcy from this fate the Starks would be the ones.

Darcy saw the crowd bow to Lord and Lady Stark. Pepper ignored them and went right over to Darcy and stroked her face gently. "Poor baby," Pepper whispered to her.

Tony turned to face Fury. "What is going on here?"

"You knew this day was coming Stark," Fury mumbled coldly.

"Yes, but I never agreed to it! My father made the bargain with you without my knowing. I order you to let her go!"

"You are out of line Stark. It is too late for you to change anything," Fury growled.

Tony stepped up to Fury and whispered coldly. "You haven't seen me out of line, Fury. I will stop this!" Tony whirled around to face the crowd. "How can you all condone this? The sacrifice of one of your own people?"

Coulson stepped up to him. "Stark, please understand that this is hard on all of us."

Tony snapped his neck, his eyes flashing in anger. "You," he snarled at Coulson. Tony charged at him and grabbed his coat. "You dare call yourself her father? You're supposed to protect her! Not sacrifice her to some demented magic monster! She's just a child!"

Fury rushed over to grab Stark off of Coulson, but he had not expected Tony to react so quickly. Tony whipped around with a right hook planted firmly on Fury's jaw. Fury was shocked by the blow for a moment which allowed Tony to turn his attention back to Coulson, his fist raised to pummel the priest.

Pepper saw Tony's outrage and rushed over to grab his fist before he could hit the holy man. Tony felt her gentle touch and looked back at her.

"Tony, don't do this. I know you're angry, I am too, but do not take it out on Father Coulson. He's just trying to do what is best for everyone," Pepper soothed.

Tony released Coulson and grasped his wife's hands. "Pep, this is another situation where everyone is deluded and I am the only one with morals." Suddenly he reached under his cloak and pulled out a blade. He raised it above his head to strike at the chains, but never had the chance to swing down for Fury gave a slight signal to Barton to shoot Tony.

The poison dart hit him in the back and Tony fell into Coulson's ready arms. Pepper gave a slight scream in worry before Fury calmed her down. Thor and Steve bounded up to take the unconscious Lord away. Pepper wanted to follow her Lord, but she also wanted to stand resolutely by Darcy.

Fury strode up to them and glared directly at Pepper. "Lady Stark, I have to ask you to leave right now."

Pepper sighed and gazed in sorrow at Darcy. She stroked the young girl's cheek again and then untied her cloak. It was a gift of protection Darcy had given her long ago. It was as red as the Blood Moon, almost the exact color. Darcy had given it to Pepper saying that if the Wolf King ever chose Pepper, she could run away and hide with the cloak.

Pepper wrapped the red cloak around Darcy. "May it protect you this night, my little mischief maker, this little red hood."


	7. Chapter 7

Howl to the Blood Moon 7

The crowd departed in silence, Jane finally weeping as she clung to Darcy, screaming through her uncontrollable sobs. "I w-won't leave h-her!"

Thor's heart was heavy at the vision of his love's distress. He left her to her father signaling to Steve to approach him with a wave of his hand. The mighty blacksmith clasped the stable boy's shoulder with a large rough hand, seeming to comfort the young looking blonde before he lowered his deep voice to a whisper. "In one hour, I shall require your fastest steed here. Stay off the trail." With that, he wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders and began to lead him up the path, saying casually yet loud enough for Fury to hear, "You seem in need of a drink, my friend."

Steve was very confused by Thor's behavior and he looked at him curiously, nodding. They were well out of ear shot before he leaned in and whispered. "What are you doing, Thor?"

The black smith kept his condoling smile as he continued to lead Steve on towards the pub. "I know it hurts my friend, none of us want to see this happen to Miss Darcy, least of all you," the big Viking-ish man replied as a few villagers passed by them, giving Steve a sympathetic look. As they passed, Thor grumbled softly. "I have a plan. The least you know, the better, I'm already involving you too much, Steve."

The poor stable man was horribly hurt but between the two of them, Thor was the better warrior. He had a feeling of what he was planning and Steve wanted to help Darcy in any way he could, but he also knew that the least people involved the better. However… "What about Barton? He's Fury's hawk eye,"

"I've already taken care of that," Thor interrupted and guided Steve into the tavern, taking a table in the center of the room, ordering a round of ale for the two of them. The gentle barbarian toasted to Steve, spilling some of the golden brown liquid, tilted his head back and gulped down the mug enthusiastically, the drink spilling over his beard. In no more than a minute, Thor had finished the tankard and was already asking for another.

Steve wasn't much of a drinker, he had tried getting drunk once, but to his annoyance he had a very high alcohol tolerance. He drank slowly, waiting for Thor to inform him of his plan. After a few moments of silence, Steve had lost his patience. "What is to happen?" he asked softly, his eyes never leaving his drink, his lips barely moving.

Thor's big blue eyes stared up at the short-haired blonde as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his fingers coming down to rub over his beard, blocking the sight of his lips moving. "I am to make Miss Darcy safe. I shall free her and if I must, I will fight this beast and kill it, so no other has to endure this. I know I am not of this village but… you have all considered me family since the first day I appeared here."

Steve blinked and nodded slowly, his eyes cast down into his ale, recalling how a hunting party had found Thor one morning in the center of the village, with only his hammer and bizarre armor, remembering nothing but his own name. He was an honest man and brought much needed help to the village, being as strong as he was and he soon found that he was a skilled blacksmith. Steve looked back up to his mentor and friend. "Why do you need my fastest horse?" He was very fond of Sleipnir, a wild horse he had found roaming in the woods, lost, confused and wounded. Sleipnir was the largest, strongest and fastest horse Steve had ever raised and also his favorite.

Thor understood Steve's reluctance to be rid of his favorite stallion, but it was necessary. "Miss Darcy will need a fast steed to take her away, out of the village. This was all Barton's idea, really. He came up with this plan. The man with the hawk eyes will be on watch, but he won't sound the alarm." Thor looked up to Steve, his expression deeply lined with the seriousness of this mission. "Will you help us save our friend and stop this creature?"

Steve stared back at Thor, then cast his eyes down in his mug. His entire childhood he had been beaten and bullied, he was so skinny and small when he was younger, but then Thor took him under his wing and helped him become stronger so that he could handle his horses. This could be his chance to prove himself, prove that he was not a weakling who was going to let his friends down. He looked back up at Thor, his eyes full of courage and determination. "Let's do this."

The night quickly came upon the wooded land in the next hour, and Darcy shivered from the cold sweeping down from the mountains. The thin white gown did little to nothing to block out the chill air. 'Might as well be naked,' she thought to herself. This was all a nightmare, she was going to die.

In the sky, the eclipse of the sun behind the moon, was already causing a great red glow to wash over the land like blood. Soon, the beast would come for her… soon she would be nothing but a temporary tool for the beast to sate his lust for flesh and blood.

Darcy sighed heavily, wanting to pray, to scream, to beg whatever Gods were in the realms above, to spare her life. Her warm breath, steadily growing colder, dissipated as mist upon the night air. Suddenly, a chilling howl echoed through the icy air down from the mountains. The Wolf King was coming for her.

Panic arose in Darcy as her adrenaline and sense of survival instinct kicked in, and the woman began to tug on the chains that held her wrists. She winced in pain as the felt the cold, cruel metal cut her wrist, but she tried to ignore it, to fight harder. Darcy didn't want to die, she wanted to live! Tears of frustration and pain fell from her brown eyes as she twisted and pulled her wrist, struggling with all her might to free herself from her chains. Until at last with her blood as a lucrative, Darcy pulled her right arm free of the cuffs, but not without scraping her skin pretty badly.

As she had begun to rub her blood on the cuff of her left wrist, Darcy heard the sound of twigs cracking from footsteps and her heart leapt into her chest. Her big eyes darted around, searching for the object of the sound.

Out of the darkness, a large calloused hand clamped over her mouth and Darcy screamed into the hand. A soft low and warm voice breathed hotly in her ear. "Miss Darcy, it is I, Thor. You need not scream, I'm here to set you free." The big burly man walked in front of Darcy, pulling back the black hood of his cloak, his face turned up in a half happy, half cocky grin as he pulled his hand away from her mouth and nose. "Are you alright, Miss Darcy?"

Darcy gave Thor an incredulous look. Inside she wanted to fall in his arms and cry (even though she was still chained, that fact escaping her for a moment), however her personality forced her on a different route. With her free hand she hit his chest as hard as she could, hurting her hand in the process by the tone of his muscle. Dammit, it really wasn't fair. "Do I bloody look alright to you, beef brain?! I'm chained to a cross, about to be sacrificed to a damn Wolf King!" She began to pull and tug at her chained wrist even more, but then, thought better of it. "You wouldn't happen to have the key would you?"

Thor shook his head with a chuckle. "Nay, that would be next to impossible, Miss Darcy."

"Then why in the name of Helheim are you laughing?!" she practically screamed at him and he slapped a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

Thor kept his voice low, his tone now completely serious as he moved his cloak aside to reveal, chained at his hip, his giant blacksmith hammer which he had decided to name Mjolnir when he first received it from his own father. "I made these chains you wear, I know their weak points and if you would be so kind as to keep quiet, I shall free you, Miss Darcy."

Darcy could only stare at those big blue eyes beneath those thick dark lashes. Slowly, she nodded her head, completely still and quiet. This was a side of Thor she had not expected.

Thor smiled to her, almost a goofy sort of grin, before he removed his hand and circled back around the cross, studying the chains, taking his time to ensure that he would not make too much commotion. This was supposed to look like the wolf took her, but if Fury ever found out that Darcy was freed before the wolf could get to her, Thor planned on taking on the blame. He wouldn't let Barton or Steve get into trouble, besides, they needed a man close to Fury to know his movements.

Darcy fidgeted impatiently on her chains, rolling her eyes and tapping her foot as she turned her head to look back at Thor. This was the longest rescue mission ever. All those books Jane had read about trapped damsels and men that came to save them… totally not true when the story said he was there for two seconds with a slash of his sword and whoosh they were gone. No, if the girl was even held by ropes the hero would have to take his time to free her, to saw through the bonds. Romance fairytale novels were LIES.

Another long howl broke over the mountains, so close and so loud it practically was shaking the thick trees that surrounded him.

Darcy urgently looked back at Thor, panic rising into the bile of her throat. "Thor! Some time tonight, would be nice!"

As soon as she had said that, there was a quiet yet mighty huff, almost like a man trying to roar quietly as Thor brought the hammer down upon the chains, the glorious shattering of the metal music to Darcy's ears. She tugged forward and felt the chains come with her as she ripped open the leather belt around her waist, throwing it off and shivering, taking up the large red cloak Pepper had given her and wrapping it warmly around her. The shackles remained upon her wrists and ankles, though, right now, Darcy was just happy to be free.

Thor reattached Mjolnir to the hook at his side, approaching Darcy and removing his own cloak, wrapping the thick wool over her like a big blanket. The large man smile kindly to her before taking one look at her poor injured wrist and tenderly taking it into his hands. "Miss Darcy… you were trying to escape?"

Darcy gave him an incredulous look, sighing as she winced and flinched at the feel of his hand on her injuries. "Yeah…wasn't doing a very good job, was I?"

Thor blinked and shook his head as he brought her hand to his lips, giving her knuckles a kiss, a kiss of respect and awe to her. "You are a very brave woman, Miss Darcy."

Darcy didn't know what to make of his actions, blushing slightly but grinning snarkily. "You trying to flirt with me, big guy? You not love my sister anymore?"

Thor's big blue eyes widened to about the size of saucers in a shocked expression. "Miss Darcy, I swear by the gods above, by everything I am that I truly love Miss Jane. I simply was making admiration of your courage!"

Darcy almost laughed at his quick jump to answer her question, he almost seemed nervous. "So why are you out here rescuing me when you should be at home comforting her? Not that I'm not grateful for the rescue, I am!"

Thor chuckled a bit as he calmed down enough to grab one of her flowy sleeves, ripping the fabric to tear it into strips and begin to bandage her bleeding wrist. "I think my love would much rather prefer my saving your life. We are to be family, after all." He finished tying off the bandages, Darcy flinching yet again from the rough treatment of his blacksmith hands, but grateful for the help. She smiled up to him, her big brown eyes showing the first semblance of happiness in a while. "You will take care of her, won't you?" Darcy seemed to know… she wasn't eve coming back to the village. The young woman might never see Jane again.

Thor nodded, kissing Darcy's forehead with a gentle smile. "Of course, Miss Darcy. I will make her the happiest woman in all of the world. Now, let us haste, young Steve is waiting for us." With a graceful flourish, he linked her arm through his and began to lead her carefully through the forest.

Darcy tried not to trip over her chains as Thor led her into the cover of the trees, glad to get out of the red light of the Blood Moon, the sight still sending a chill through her despite wearing two cloaks. "Steve is involved too?!" A pang of guilt ripped through her heart as she thought of him being in any sort of trouble.

Thor nodded with a proud beaming smiling, casting his eyes down at Darcy. "Aye, that he is. The man is waiting for us with his steed Sleipnir."

Darcy's jaw dropped and she tripped a bit over a root in the ground. "S-Sleipnir?! But… that's his best horse!"

"Aye, and he's giving him to you so that you can get away, Darcy. This is how much we all care for you," Thor replied softly, steading her before she could fall.

Darcy fought back tears as Thor spoke. They… they actually cared about her. Someone actually cared about her and was saving her from the fate that had been thrown at her. She wiped at her eyes, choking back a sob as she walked with Thor, holding to his arm tighter. As she wiped her vision clear, Darcy caught a glimpse of a dark blue shadow up ahead as the trees became slightly thinner and she heard the soft impatient grunts of a horse and a the soft voice of a young man soothing it. "Shhh… Sleipnir, easy boy, I know you're restless. I am too. Nothing we can do but wait."

Thor chuckled a bit and pulled Darcy into view as he waved to Steve. "We are here, Steve, no need to wait any longer." He approached quietly as he patted Sleipnir's neck, rubbing his muscle gently to calm him down.

Darcy slowly approached Steve, letting go of Thor as she took the young man into a tight hug, Thor's cloak falling from her shoulders. "Thank you, so much Steve," she whispered against his neck. On impulse Darcy cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. After a moment she pulled away, grinning brightly and hugging him tightly. "Just… thank you."

Steve didn't know how to react to that kiss… her lips, Heavens above they were so soft, so plump and perfect, luscious and ripe for kissing. He wanted to cup her face and kiss her forever, his dream was finally coming true, Darcy Coulson was kissing him! A chorus of angels began playing in his mind as his arms started to wrap around her body and all too soon she pulled away from him, much to his frustration. Steve almost groaned as she stopped the kiss, but restrained himself, still in the shock that Darcy had FINALLY kissed him. And of course his luck, it had to be when she was leaving… possibly forever.

Out of the night, the sound of a soft whistle caught their attention and Thor drew his hammer out before them. "That will be Barton's signal, someone is close. Darcy, you must hurry."

Darcy nodded, kissing Steve's cheek before running to Thor, kissing his cheek in thanks as she put her foot in the stirrup of the saddle, bouncing up to try to get on, she was short and Sleipnir was so gigantic. Thor grasped Darcy's hips and pushed her up on the horse, helping her become situated as a loud rustling became apparent, growing closer and closer to the three. "What about you two?" Darcy asked down to Thor and Steve, a worried look in her eyes.

Thor smiled reassuringly to the young woman, stepping aside as he picked up his fallen cloak and put it back on her lap. "We shall be fine, but you must go. Now, Darcy." Darcy moved the stallion and was about to give a kick to his sides to get running when she heard a soft voice and she turned around.

"Wait! Darcy!" a shrill feminine voice quietly called out. Darcy nearly wept as she saw Jane running through the forest towards them, jumping off the horse and running for Jane and embracing her tightly. "Oh Darcy…" Jane whispered, almost crying, holding her little sister close, not wanting to let her go.

Thor's eyes widened as he approached Jane, worry and concern clear upon his face. "Jane?! What are you doing, my love?"

Jane turned to Thor with a smile, still holding on to Darcy. "Barton told me what you all were doing. He knew I would want to say goodbye… oh! And I brought you these, Darcy." The tall thin woman shrugged off the knapsack she had been carrying on her back and gave it to Darcy. "There is a large supply of food in there as well as a few changes of clothes. It may last you a while, if you know where you are going."

Darcy tentively took the knapsack but hung her head, sighing. "I don't know where I'm going to go… if there is anywhere I could go…"

Jane softly petted Darcy's hair, her look sullen for a moment before she brightly smiled and took Darcy's hand. "Stark Manor! You'll be safe there with Lord and Lady Stark!"

Darcy gave a wide smile and hugged her big sister, almost wanting to laugh at how simple the idea was. "You're a genius, Jane, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Suddenly, a howl shook the night air with a force like a powerful blast, and a green light illuminated over the area of the forest where Darcy had formerly been chained. At first there was silence, then a mighty roar of anger, more human like than wolf, resounded around them. A powerful voice, dark, sultry, commanding and confident echoed over them, sending a deathly forbidden chill through their bones. "I know you are out there Darcy Couslon. Mark my words, I WILL find you. No matter how far you may run, no matter where you may try to hide, I will always find you."

Darcy looked around at Thor and Steve, scared out of her mind that he was here, she was in his presence. Thor put a finger to his lips and motioned for Darcy to come to the horse and Steve to help her up on the horse. With her bag secure, Darcy looked back at Jane with tearful and sad eyes, a pang of sorrow in her heart. "Jane… goodbye," she whispered as Thor slapped the end of Sleipnir's flanks and the horse was spurred on, almost a blur of grey and black as he ran through the night at a speed Darcy had never known. This was it, she was really leaving… leaving her family, her friends, her home… never to see Jane and Thor marry, have a family, to live a life on the run, never knowing what happened to anyone and no one knowing what happened to her.

Darcy couldn't hold it in anymore and as she clung to Sleipnir's dark gray mane, she felt the tears start to slide down her face in despair. The tears weren't even to the end of her jaw when a shrill scream pierced through the night to her ears. Jane…


	8. Chapter 8

Here you go you sharks, DON"T EAT ME! I sincerely apologize for the extremely long delay in updates, I became very caught up in an Avengers rp on Facebook. My character (oddly enough) is now married to Thor and has a very deep (possibly mistaken as romantic) relationship with Loki. If you'd like to know about the rp story, please don't hesitate to say so, I would love to show you guys some stuff. But for now, the chapter you have been waiting for…. LOKI APPEARS! HAVE AT IT!

Howl to the Blood Moon 8

Jane gave into the tears that were brimming behind her eyelids and the flood gates of the salty drops burst forth and slid like waterfalls down her red cheeks as she watched Darcy ride off into the night, the red hood almost making her appear invisible against the Blood Moon's light.

Thor wrapped a strong beefy arm around his little fiancée and held her close to him for a few moments, letting her weep to her heart's content. Jane's sobs of her sorrow cracked through his heart and Thor had to grit his teeth not to cave at the weeping of his woman. His large hand came up to softly stroke her hair in comfort, his deep voice gently shushing her. "My love, your sister is free. Do not weep. Miss Darcy is safe now, rejoice for her freedom." He tilted her head up with a tender smile and wiped at her tears with his thumb. "Weep no more this night, my love."

Jane stifled back a few more sobs and leaned further into Thor's arms, his embrace and words comforting her, putting the fretting woman at ease. Slowly her tears ceased to fall and Jane felt Thor lean in to kiss her softly on the forehead, rubbing her back for a moment before moving away and taking her hand. "Come, we must leave while we still –"

Thor's words were suddenly cut off as a large black shadow appeared, grabbing him in its jaws and tossing him sharply into the air. A streak of green lightning burst forth from behind the black shadow and struck right into his heart, making his massive body fly even further away. The blacksmith was flown several hundred feet before his broad back hit a large tree with such a force that a loud resounding crack was heard from where Jane and Steve still stood.

The massive black shadow stalked out of the trees into the red light surrounding the two still conscious people, a low and ferocious consistent growl grinding inside of his deep and thick throat. As the figure first put a large paw, the size of the upper half of Thor's body, into the light, taking its first steps into their visions, Jane let out a terrified scream at the sight of such a monster, falling backwards and scrambling to get away from it and get to Thor, her worried eyes searching for him in the dark.

As the shadow became more apparent to them, Steve stood frozen, in both awe and chilling fear. This creature was indeed the Wolf King. It was larger than any wolf he had ever seen, any THING he had ever seen. He could easily swallow a few good sized horses whole. He noticed Jane scrambling to get away and he bent to help her, her scream piercing his ears and agitating the great beast.

As Steve moved to kneel by Jane, the black furred beast growled more, baring it's long razor sharp fangs at the two. It moved closer, its green eyes piercing right through theirs to their very souls as the two stood frozen in the wolf's presence. As it moved, they noticed that the wolf was covered in golden armor from it's paws up to its ears, from its snout back to its tail. On the outside of the legs of the armor there appeared to be what looked like stairs. With every move the wolf made, the armor would shift and clank but the sound was magically so quiet one could barely hear it. Upon the wolf's head was attached a helmet with two horns curling back behind the ears. It truly was a menacing and threatening yet awed spectacle to behold.

Jane breathed heavily as she shook before the wolf, her eyes again darting into the darkness again to where Thor had been thrown. Quickly, on impulse, Jane darted forward towards the direction she had seen her love fall.

At her sudden actions the wolf bounded in front of her, its jaws snapping widely open and shut inches from her body, a roar of command ordering her to stay. Jane fell backwards in a panic and automatically Steve was there, a sword at hand as he swung the blade at the wolf's giant black nose, pulling Jane away from the angry jaws.

Suddenly, there came a dark menacing chuckle from the wolf's direction as something seemed to rein back the giant creature. A voice spoke, cold and deep, filled with a dark sensuality and smooth serpent silver-tongue charm accented like slowly dripping poisoned honey. "Fenrir, they are of no use to me if you take their lives before I have been given the chance to speak to the common ones."

The wolf seemed to sink back away from the two as the voice spoke, laying its large ears back upon its massive head in submission to the voice. "Yes, father," came the low grumbling reply from the wolf, the voice deep and rough, almost as dark as the voice that had spoken before it.

Steve tilted his head and looked to Jane in question, highly confused and shaken that this wolf was speaking… to an invisible voice that they could hear. Were they going mad? Were they dead and this was Helheim? What in the name of the heavens was happening? Steve drew Jane closer protectively. Thor was his best friend and he wouldn't allow his beloved fiancée to be hurt. "What do you want?!" Steve barked in a stern voice, raising the sword again in front of them. Inside he was shaking but he would protect his friends. He would give his life to ensure they were safe.

Again, the dark voice chuckled, as if amused by Steve's attempts at heroics. Even the wolf seemed to laugh in a bark-like manner at him, only making Steve angrier. "WHAT do you WANT?!" Steve repeated, this time standing in front of Jane to shield her from any possible attacks even though the entire time her line of sight was trained on where Thor had fallen. Steve wondered if the blacksmith was even still alive…

The two could almost feel the smirk that came from the voice as it resounded from behind the wolf again. "What do I want…?" The beast suddenly sat upon its haunches, it's head held erect and proud as it sat perfectly still. The soft shift of metal against high quality leather could be heard as a tall figure, the tallest they had ever seen, appeared up on the shoulder of the giant wolf and slowly began to descend down the steps of the armor in a manner that radiated a regal and magical elegance that seemed to demand their fear and respect.

As the figure descended upon the last step and to the ground, both Jane and Steve had to tilt their heads up to gaze at him. Their jaws nearly dropped in awe at the man, easily over six feet tall, his skin as pale and smooth as foam upon sea waves, high elegant cheek bones protruding beneath deep glowing emerald green eyes that seemed to capture and hold their gaze with a purpose. From neck to toe he was dressed in loose yet form fitting black leather, a soft velvet emerald green fabric lining beneath. Attached on his forearms, shoulders and legs there were plates of golden armor, matching that of his wolf. On the top of his head full of waist length onyx black hair, he wore a golden helmet with extended horns curving above his head like those of a bull.

The elegant man held firmly at his side in his right hand a long golden scepter with lengthy curved blades at the end. In the center of the blades, there was a glowing blue sphere that radiated with a frightening power that made the two tremble in both fear and awe of it's presence. Steve looked up to the man, beginning to raise his sword in a defense position.

With a smirk, the mighty being knocked aside the sword with a sweep of his scepter and suddenly the tip of the spear was at the center of Steve's chest, the dangerous smirk upon the stranger's face growing ever wider and darker. "You know what I want…" he said slowly with a dark purpose before he raised the scepter and swung against Steve's head, knocking him to the ground.

Jane screamed again and trembled as she watched Steve fall, wondering if she should try and flee, go retrieve Clinton. Then she thought would it do any good if they even had a chance? This man… he had badly hurt Thor, and Steve without hesitation or remorse… all because he wanted Darcy. But why? Was he a servant of the Wolf King? "Wh-who are you?" Jane found herself wondering aloud, almost squealing as the sound of her voice rose out of her throat.

The stranger's gaze shifted to Jane, an amused deep chuckle escaping the wide smirk of his beautiful thin lips and his dark green eyes flashed in a display of power and magic, his entire body seeming to light up around him in a slow green flash of light and smoke. "I am Loki, the Wolf King of Asgard and I am a great sorcerer burdened with glorious purpose." He took a step closer, switching the tip of the scepter to between Jane's breasts in the center of her chest, pressing the sharp tip into her body. "Now… where is my maiden?"

Jane's heart began to pound frantically. Where was Clinton?! He was supposed to be on look out! She tried not to look directly into his eyes, hypnotizing, almost serpent-like. She wouldn't let him have her sister. "I… I don't know."

Loki almost sighed in frustration, but ended up chuckling at this girl's ignorance. "Do not try and lie to me, the weaver of lies." The dark king suddenly reached out and grabbed her throat, raising her off of the ground as he gripped her neck tightly, choking her. "Now, again, I ask, where is sh-*ping*!"

Loki heard the resounding metal of his helmet echo in a high pitched manner as he felt some hard small object collide with his head. The sorcerer turned his head slowly towards the direction the object had come.

Darcy sat on Sleipnir's back, totally freaked out of her mind, panicking and thinking to herself that she was an idiot. She was no hero, what in the name of Helheim was she doing?! She held a bunch of rocks from the river in her trembling hands, having already thrown one at Loki, another already in her arm that was drawn back, ready to strike another blow at the sorcerer holding her sister. "L-let Jane go!" …. Let Jane go…. Yeah, Darcy, that was really threatening. Why didn't she just say please while she was at it?

With a cruel smile, Loki dropped Jane like a rag, his piercing gaze capturing her figure and looking Darcy over. His eyes were almost half lidded as they drank in the sight of her, big eyes, luscious lips, voluptuous womanly body just ripe and perfect to sate his needs for a time. Ignoring the choking Jane and the unconscious Steve, Loki began to stalk towards Darcy, his long legs carrying him a good distance closer with every step. His hips shifted back and forth in a sensual cat-like grace and swagger that seemed to captivate Darcy, almost making her blush.

Darcy seemed frozen upon Sleipnir, and as Loki walked closer, he noticed her steed and he actually smiled a bit, raising his hands a bit as he came upon them, placing a palm against the horse's neck. "And you even have the curtousy to return Sleipnir to me. How kind of you…" his smile turned into a smirk, "two prizes for one venture."

Darcy's heart skipped a beat as he came so close that she could see every outline of his prominent features. He wasn't just handsome… he was beautiful. That smile of his was criminal in its own beauty. And right now he was half smiling, half smirking at her, reaching up slowly, holding out his hand for her to take it. "Come with me, Darcy." It wasn't a request, but a command, yet the voice of a gentleman was behind it.

As if in a trance by him, Darcy reached out slowly towards his hand, the ends of her dress torn and wet and dirty from the river, her bushy brown hair frazzled from the whipping wind of riding Sleipnir as fast as she could.

Suddenly Loki jerked his hand up and clasped it around a long arrow that came flying towards his face, the arrow head tipped in silver, a method long known to kill the wolves of the forest. Darcy jerked her head up and looked out into the night to see Clint standing behind Jane and Steve, another arrow already loaded into his bow, trained on Loki.

Slowly, Loki turned his head, a bored yet amused smile on his face before suddenly he dropped the arrow that had been trained for his face and he leapt high into the air, aiming right at Clint. A blast came from the scepter as Clint shot one of his arrows at Loki and the small explosion spooked Sleipnir into rearing up on his hindquarters and taking off into the forest, away from the fight, carrying a startled and scrambling Darcy with him.

The blast from Loki's scepter blew Clint and Jane off their feet, throwing her several feet close to Thor and him against a small group of trees. Slowly, Jane crawled towards Thor, shaking as she cradled his head in her lap, tears streaming down her face at the sight of him.

Loki smirked as he heard the moans of the man with the arrows, slowly stalking over to look down upon him. This man had skill with his weapon, that much was apparent, and against the glow of his scepter, Loki could see a familiar emblem upon his uniform. His smirk became almost devilish, evil, as he looked upon the symbol. "Sherriff Fury's man… how quant. You would be quite useful…" Without another word he placed the tip of his glowing golden staff against Clint's chest and a blue light began to glow around him.

With a shudder and a moan, Clint's body tensed and then relaxed, his eyes now swirling with a magical light blue color as he slowly rose to his feet, shaking off whatever remained of the pain in his body. Then… he knelt before Loki, bowing his head in submission to him. "Sire, what are your orders?"

A laugh of triumph echoed from Loki's throat as he smirked all the more triumphantly. "Keep those hawk eyes on Fury, let me know of his movements."

With a whistle, Loki called his son Fenrir, the giant wolf to his side, and he ascended up the steps of the armor, taking the reins that were attached to the bull horns into his hands, slipping into the saddle-like dip in the armor. He looked at the large hoof prints on the ground and smirked, patting Fenrir's neck. "Now, to find your brother… and my bride."


End file.
